Maritime tech school to open in 2018

A national maritime technical college will be ready for enrolments next year as the federal government moves to ensure there are enough skilled workers for a naval shipbuilding boom.

The college will have an initial investment of $25 million.

A tender for the college will open shortly with plans for operations to start in January 2018.

Its focus will be on increasing the size of the existing workforce ahead of construction starting on the Offshore Patrol Vessels next year, Future Frigates in 2020 and 12 new submarines in the early 2020s.